Esther 4:1-9 ▼

1 WHEN Mordecai learned all that was done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, howling with a loud and bitter lamentation;

2 And came even as far as the king's gate; for it was unlawful for any man to enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

3 And in every province, wherever the king's decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting and weeping and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 So when Esther's eunuchs and her maidens came in and told her, the queen was exceedingly disturbed; and she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and to take away his sackcloth from him; but he did not accept them.

5 Then Esther called for Hathan, one of the king's eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to know what this was and why it was,

6 So Hathan went forth to Mordecai to the streets of the city which were in front of the king's gate.

7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him and of the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.

8 He also gave him a copy of the writing of the decree that was is sued in Shushan the palace, to show it to Esther, and to charge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and to make request be fore him for her people.

9 And Hathan came in and told Esther the words of Mordecai.